Humidifier



March 25 1924.

c. E. LINEBARGER HUMIDIFIER Filed Oct. 6,-13Q

N VEN 7-01? 'Car/ E baba ihttt tti enreur carmen@ CHARLES E. LINEBARGER, OF HIOAGO, ILLIENOI@ BETHER.

Application filed October 6, 1920. Serial No. 415,214.

To aZZ wlzom t may concem:

Be it known' that I, CHARLES E. LINE- BARGER, a citizen of the United States residin at Chicago, in the county of ook and tate of Illinois, have invented certaiu new and useful Im rovem'ents in Humidifiers, of which the fo lowing is a specification.

This invention relates to humidifiers or to devices tor mixing substances that are normally in the liquid state with substances that are normally in the gaseous state, as for example, water and air or gasoline an air. Among the objects of my invention'are to provide an improved device of the character indicated that is simple in construction and manufacture, efiicient in operation and ap licable to a number of difi'erent uses. thile it is primarily intended to efiect the mixture ot water vapor and air, it may also be employed for the separatlon of dust from a gas and also for the mixing of gases other than air with Vapors other than that of water. The invention has for one object the production of suitable humidifying apparatus which may be attached to ordinary fans for circulating the air, and particularly to Small portable fans which are used in residences and offices. The general purpose of the apparatus is to rovide means for efiectively introducing into the air in cold Weather a ver material amount of moisture so as to raise the humidity of the air to any desired amount,

and also to thorou hly cleanse the air ot dust, Smoke or other objectionable substances, and in warm Weather to cool the air by the evaporation of water While the air is being cieaned and circuiated; Other objects ot the invention witt be apparent from a consideration of the accomganying drawings and the :toilowing description thereof.

Of the drawings Fig. 1 is an elevation of an electric :tan with apparatus attached there- 4 to which emhodies the features ozt my invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion ot the apparatus' Fig. 3 is a transverse section along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and Figs. 4: 5, and 6 are reduced transverse sections of apparatus showin modifications which may be made if desire The apparatus may be attached to any ordinary cirouiating tan in any suitable manner. T prefer to attach it to the ordinary uard of the fan, as indicated in Fig.

1. T e apparatus comprises in general a casing which :may be a tube 10 through which air, by means of a tan 11, is blown long1tud 1na1ly. The tube 10 may extend perpendicularly to the plane of the fan, or

obliquely, as may be desired. I prefer to extend it perpendicularly to the plane as indicated. Within the tube is provided a shallow. tank 12, the bottom of the tube providing a bottom for the tank, and end walls 13 for \the tank being fixed in the tube in any'suitable manner. The tanh is supplied with water in any suitable manner, and any suitable means may be provided to maintain therein a. suitable Supply of water. T have illustrated for the purpose ot this description an inlet pipe 14: which is supplied with a valve 15, and is connected with any suitable source of water Supply under pressure. By means ot the valve the amount of water fiowing into the tank may be regulated, and the water may be shut ofi' entirely When desired. T show also an overflow pipe 16 which extends upwardly into the tank to the point where it is desired to maintain the water levei therein. Pro ecting from the hub 17 of the tan is shaft 18 which passes into the tube 10 and has on its outer end any suitable apparatus for stirring up the water in the tank. T prefer tor the purpose a stirrer consisting ot the paddle 20. As the ian rotates the paddle throws a continuous corrent of water upwardly. and around the sides of the tube; and the water then drips down from the walls of the tube., so that the air being torced through the tube is continuously passing through the spray of water going upwardly :from the fan and downwardly from the walls oft the tube, or from other devices which may he piaced in the tuhe to assist in suitabiy distributing the water as it falis through the tube. T preter tor such a device a eurved Sheet 21, with its upper edge supported in any suitabie manner and the suspended portion graduaiiy curving inwardiy to wards the central portion of the tube, so that the water being torced u wardiy hy the stirrer passes between the s' eet 21 and wall of the tube and is sprayed out through the openings 22 in the Upper portion oi' the Sheet, the Speed ot the water 'being increaseol by the decreasing cross-section of the space throup h which it traveis upwardiy. To prevent drops of water passing out of the tuhe in either direction hafie plates 23 and 24 of' any suitable shape may be provided in 'the tuhe With this arrangement, as the 'fan operates, the Current of air passing out of the tube will carry with it a very material amount of moisture', the amount dependin upon the magnitudes and the relativa a justments of the various parts, so that the humidity of the air may be increased thereby as much as is desired. At the samo time the air, bein circulated contmuousl wlll all be passed t rough the tube repeate ly and will be thoroughly washed by the spray of water through which it passes. And also much of the air will be forced down into and through the water by the paddle 20. By these means the air and water will be thoroughly churned together throughout the entire casm.

If it is esired,- in order to pass more moisture into the air by increasing the temperature thereof, any 'suitable means may be used for heating the watereither before it passes' into the tank or afterwards. I prefer for the purpose an electric heater 26 immersed in the water of the tank and eonnected to any suitable source of electric supply by means of cab1es 27.

The tube in this instance is shown as connected to the fan guard 30 by means of rods 31 fixed to the guard and also -fixed to a band 32 passing around the tube. The band is clamped around the tube by) means of lugs 33 fixed to the end of the and and a. suitable screw 34 so arranged that as the screw is loosened the tube may be conveniently slipped from the band. Also fixed to the band is a conical shaped air interoeptor 35 having a tubular outer end 36 Surrounding the tube 10 under the band 32, slots 29 allowing it to be clamped to the tube by the band 32. This air interceptor extends substantially to the guard of the fan and intercepts as much of the current of air from the fan as its construction provides for, so as to increase materia-lly the flow of air through the tube 10. The tube 10 may extend inwardly towards the fan so far as may be desired. I prefer to have it push inwardl against the guard and then 'be clampe in place. When so arranged the air passing throu h comprises that which is forced through y the central portion of the fan opposite the end of the tube and also such an additional amount as is forced inw'ardly by the interceptar and thus orced throughthe tube. By this arrangement I am able to vary maberially the flow of air throu h the tube by suitable means such as the fo lowing:

In the wall of the interceptor 35 I provide openings 36; and, encirclin the air interceptor, I rovide a conical -s utter 37 shaped similar y to the interoeptor and entirely enclosing it. This shutt'er, however, is rotatably mounted on the interceptor, held in place by the screw 39, and it has. openings 38 corresponding to the openings 36 of the interceptor; so that When the respec tive openings register the air can .pase freely therethrough and substantially no air is forced by the interoeptor through the' inner tube, the air external of this tube passing either through the openings or around To operate the shutter I provide 'an arm 40 fixed to the shutter; and any suitable hygrometric device may be used for controlling the shutter in aocordance with the humidity of the air. For this purpose I pre fer a device 41 which consistsof Curved strips of metal and Wood, or other suitable materials. having one end 42 fixed to the band 32 by means of an arm 43, and the other end of' the device 44is fixed to the shutter by means of the arm 40, so that, as' the air becomes moister and the inner stri of Wood straightens the hygrometric device, the shutter will be rotated on the air interceptor so as to open more the openin'gs of the mterceptor an decrease the amount of air flowing through the tube 10.

To further assist in decreasi the amount ofair fiowing through the tu a. damper 46 may be provided in the tube itself and this may be suitably connected with the h grometrie device by means ,of an arm 4% a lever 48 and suitable connecting links.

With the damper so arranged, as the device 41 operates'to lncrease the openings through the interceptar, it also rotates the damper 46 to close more or less the bore of the tube 10. With these arrangement's, if the air becomes too moist the humidifyin efiect of the apparatus may be subst-antia ly eliminated.

It will be understood that' as the apparatus operates, the dirt from the air will be earried into the tank continuously by the falling spray and it will be necessary at times to clean the tank and other portions of the apparatus. To provide for this I arrange for slipping the tube 10 out of the clam ing band 32 b loosening the screw 34, and isconnecting the arm 47 from the lever 48 by means of a thumb screw 50; it being understood that flexible tubes 51 may be used for suplying water to the tank, and also that, w zontally, it will pase freely between the end wall 13 of the tank and the bafiie plates 23. I* also provide means for removing the baflie plates and the plate 21 from the tube by mounting these upon a curved plate .or frame work 52, which may be readily sli ped from the tube 10 When it is removed rom its support. In this way the plates within' en the blade 20 is turned horimeme@ the tube may be easily cleaned and any dirt may be removed from the tank Whenever occasion arises.

Although I have described With some particularity the various elements which comprise the apparatus, and their relative arrangements, yet it is to be understood that modifications may be made by those skilled in the art Without departing from the spirit of my invention as disclosed by the following claims. For example, Fig. 4 illustrates rotatable fins 55, against which Water is thrown by the pad dle 20 With such energy that the fins are rotated and they throw the water off in a finer spray downwardly and along the walls of the tube. F ig. 5 shows a bafiie 56 against which the water is forced by the paddle 20 and this assists in atomizing the water. Fig. 6 illustrates a squirrel cage wheel 57, fixed to the shaft 18, and having longitudinal peripheral paddles 58, which not only throw the Water upwardly from the tank but carry it upwardly by its adhesion and throws it outwardly by centrfugal force, so as to very thoroughly atomize the water. Various other devices for the same purpose may be used.

I claim as m invention:

1. A humidifier comprising a casing of Curved cross-section and partly closed at both ends, means for forcing a gas through said casing, means for maintaining a Supply of liquid within said casing, a stirrer rotatabl mounted within said casing and nor ma ly partially immersed in said liquid, means for rotating said stirrer so that said liquid is driven up around the inner wall of said casing, means for breaking up the current of liquid thereby produced, and means for heating the Water in said casing.

' 2. An air washer comprising a hollow casing with its ends open, a water tank formed in the bottom of said casing, a paddle rotatably mounted in said casing and projecting into said tank, automatic means for rotating said paddle, means for forcing a gas through said casing and means for regulating the amount of air being forced through said casing. V

3. A humidifier comprising a fan, a hollow casing With its ends open mounted in front of and with one end towards said fan, a Water tank formed in the bottom of said easing, a paddle fixed to the hub of said fan and projecting into said tank, means for rotating said fan, and means for heating said water.

4. A humidifiercomprising a fan, a hollow casing with its ends open mounted in front of and with one end towards said fan, a Water tank formed in the bottom of said casing, a paddle fixed to the hub of said fan and projecting into said tank, means for 1'0- tating said fan, and baflie plates in the end of said casing.

5. A humidifier comprising a fan, a hollow casing with its ends open mounted in front of and With one end towards said fan, a water tank formed in the bottom of said casing, a padde fixed to the hub of said fan and projecting into said tank, means for rotating said fan, and automatic means for regulating the amount of air being forced through said casing by said fan. i

6. A humidifier comprising a tube, the lower portion of the ends of said tube bein closed' to form a tank, a paddle rotatably mounted in said tank, means for forcing air through said tube and for rotating said padd'le, and hygrometric means for varying the amount of air forced through said tube.

In testimony Whereof, I hereunto set my hand.

CHARLES E. LINEBARGER 

